Draft-gear.



P. M. BEARD.

DRAFT GEAR.

APPLICATON ILEDIUNE1Q.I912.

1,199,755. Patented 0m. 3,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

WITNESSES BWMINVENTOR v H ATTORNEY Patent-ed Oct 3. 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 mvemon M W\ BY G-a 1 6 l ATTORNEY P. M. BEARD.

DRAFT GEAR.

APPLICATION HLED JUNE 10. 1912.

I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFI E.

PAUL M. BEARD, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN CAR AND FOUNDRY COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF NEW J DRAFT-GEAR.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Och-3,

Application filed June 10, 1912. I Serial No. 702,844.

. form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof will occur to persons skilled in the art.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is an isometric perspective view illustrating my improved draft gear applied to a draft sill with a part of the front stop casting broken away and with one draft sill removed. Fig. '2 is a horizontal sectional view, the section being taken on line of Fig. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view, the section being taken on line 33 of Fig. Fig. -l is a transverse vertical sectional view, the section being taken on line lt of Fig. 3 looking in the direction indicated by the arrow. Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view,

'the section being taken on line 55 of Fig.

3, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow. Fig. 6 is a view taken relatively on the line of Fig. 3, looking in the direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow; that is, rearwardly.

Referring to the parts, F indicates the draft sills, H the coupler shank, G the front follower of the draft gear, I the rear follower of the draft gear, B B the yoke extensions of the rear follower and S the key extending transversely through slots in the yoke and through the registering slot in the shank of the coupler to yieldingly connect the draft gear to the coupler. The front and rear followers are each provided with pockets 1, in which are seated springs '2, which are preferably arranged vertically one above the other, so as to utilize, as far as possible, springs of maximum capacity, the springs being arranged in any desired manner, as, for instance nested in the pockets 1 of the front and rear followers, as indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawing, which drawing is intended to represent standard M. C-, .-.B

construction.

It will be observed that the draft gear provided includes a 'c'oinbi'ned draft yoke and rear follower with afront fol ldwer movable on and within th'eai' ms B Bof-the yoke, the front follower being wider near the top than it is near the bottom, shoulders 5 projecting laterally therefrom and resting upon the yoke extensions B ngaas best shown in Figs. 1 and-x5, in whieh. itfwill be observed that the spring l'ioclretsa're 'of approximately uniform area? and! the: front follower rides on the yoke extension-l3 B. the lower spring pocket being forn-rediina relatively narrower port'ion of the spring follower than the upper springpocketzeThis' is an advantage in assembling-the draft gear.

As will be noted in the rear follower I is prbvidedwith.a rearwardly projecting shoulder or. bracket (3 connected by tlanges i with theirear fol- Figs; 1,22 sand 3,

lower and being formed integral withsaid' rear follower as a unitary:castingfihoughit is obvious that this bracket may ,be; separately formed and subsequently..applied to the rear follower, if desired. .Cooperati-ng with the bracket (3 is a transversely..extentL:

ing key 8, which projects throughthe draft sills F and through the webs of therear stops or draft lugs-f), which, draft lugs are .preferably provided with flanges l0 e 'x tending from the front, top and bottom edges of the draft lugs. as bcst shown .in Fig. l, and the draftqlugs. are secured in position by rivets 11, passing through the webs of the draft lugs and the webs of .the draft sills F. 1 p

Owing to the depth of the front. and back followers, it is desirablemtoprovide proper bearings therefor, extending below the plane of the draft sills. The rear follower abuts against the draft lugs 9, and to provide suitable area for the connection of the large draft lugs 9, angles 11 are riveted to and depend from the lower flanges 12 of the draft sills. so that the bottom portion of the draft lugs 9 may be riveted to the depending legs of the angles 11 which angles 11*, should extend longitudinally of the draft sills a sutlicient distance to afford proper rivet connection thereto.

The front follower G contacts withthe Fig. 4, and plays between the downwardlyextending portions 13 of the front stop casting 14, which, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, extends forwardly from the front follower (l to or in the vicinity of the ends of the draft sills F, in the present instance being shown flush with the ends of such draft sills, thereby forming a combined front follower stop and striking casting, and by reason of the direct rivet connection of the casting 14, through its vertical flanges 15, with the webs of the draft sills, it serves as a draft sill tie and brace for the draft 'sills.

Below the draft sills and forwardly of the front follower, I provide an abutment for the lower portion of the front follower, comprising a flanged rolled section 16, which may be of any form, though it is shown as an I-shape in cross section turned horizontally, which section is connected by the supporting plate or pressing 17 in contact with the depending brackets 18, which are riveted to the bottom flanges of the draft sills, as best shown in Figs. 3am] 5, from which it will be noted that the brackets 18 extend rearwardly of the front follower (i at each side thereof to pr ide proper rivet connection of the brackets 18 with the draft sills.

The draft gear illustrated and described is assembled in the usual manner with the springs under some compression, after which it is placed in position and the key 8 is passed through registering openings or slots in the draft sills and draft lugs below the bracket (3, thus affording suitable support for the rear end of the draft gear, after which the coupler shank may be placed in position and the front key S is projected through registering openings in the draft sills, the yoke extensions 15 H. and the rear portion of the coupler shank ll, the openings in the draft sills and yoke extensions being longer from front to rear than the widthof the key S, so as to provide a relativelyyieldiug connection between the coupler shank and the draft gear when the parts are assembled. a

ln operation, it will be noted that the rear face of'thc coupler shank will abut the forward face of the front follower. and to assist in assembling I provi le on the front face of the front follower, an integral Lug or extension 20, which is adapted to enter a registering opening commonly incident tocoring in common practice. As will be evident from the drawings, the butting stresses will be transmitted from the coupler to the front follower and through the draft springs, the rear follower abutting the draft lugs 9, which, as will be'noted in Fig. 3, are in close proximity to the forward edges of bolster bottom cover plate 21, intermed. 2 plate and center bearing casting 23; and in pulling, owing to the key connection S, pulling stresses will be transmitted from the coupler through the key, the yoke extensions B B and rear follower to the draft springs, which will cause the front follower to abut against the stop casting l4 and the bracket members, before referred to, below the draft sills. Such play longitudinal of the under-frame as may be incident to service will be permitted the rear follower by reason of the rearward extension of the I bracket 6, which at all times in service rests to the draft sills and forming supporting plates for said abutment, said brackets being extended 'rearwardly of the front follower at each side thereof.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

PAUL M. BEARD. \Vitnesses \VILLLnr V. Moiuusox, J AMES J. COOPER. 

